Some might think 220 horsepower isn't enough for a mid-size sport utility vehicle that weighs 4700 pounds, but we did two stints at the wheel of the H3, one in increasingly inclement and icy weather, and found the powertrain more than adequate whether we were just driving around town, cruising at speed with left-lane traffic on the Interstate or crawling our way over big boulders on a very difficult off-road trail.Like other Hummers, the H3 was built not for its zero-to-60 mph acceleration time but for its ability to climb 60 percent (31-degree) grades, to handle 40 percent side slopes and to ford 24 inches of water. But the H3 isn't at all sluggish when you enter a freeway on ramp and the engine emits a nice growl as you accelerate to the speed limit.
The capabilities engineered into the H3 for off-roading also are beneficial in city driving, and especially in parking, where the tight steering and 37-foot turning circle combine to make parking, even parallel parking, a simple maneuver.
We were concerned that the upright windshield might impede the view of stoplights that hang above an intersection, but we experienced no such problem. But we did like the secure feeling you get driving or riding in a vehicle that gives you the sensation of being in a rolling fortress.